#026: The Power of Virtual Support and Outsourcing with Chris Ducker

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, I interviewed my good friend, Chris Ducker. This interview came at a perfect time, because the evening after completing the interview, I got on a plane to the Philippines to speak at Chris’ event, Tropical Think Tank.

This was an exciting trip for me because not only is this my first trip to the Philippines, I also had the opportunity to speak with some some really fantastic people, including Pat Flynn, John Dumas, Greg Hickman and Natalie Sisson, and of course Chris Ducker himself, so it was a lot of fun.

On today’s show, we are talking about the power of virtual support and outsourcing. This is an important topic for me, because I recently learned a valuable lesson, something I did not believe for so long until I finally experienced it personally in my business.

So many successful people I look up to have told me that it is possible to work less and make a bigger impact, which includes bigger profits. That was hard for me to believe because it went against everything I knew about hard work paying off.

However, on episode 23, I talked about how I experienced this very thing in 2013. I tell you this because with the right support, you truly can do less and make more. That’s why I think the topic today is so valuable to anyone building a business online.

I’ve actually had Chris on the show before and so today we are going to dive a bit deeper into this topic. For those of you who do not know Chris, Chris is a serial entrepreneur, virtual staffing expert, blogger, podcaster and author of the new book Virtual Freedom (which is a FANTASTIC book and one I highly recommend.)

In this episode, right from the start, Chris gets personal about a recent experience he had with burnout – and how his burnout did not effect his business AT ALL.

Also, Chris dives into the mindset and mechanics around expanding your team with virtual support. The mindset requires a different way of looking at your business and your role in your business, seeing the value of letting go of some of it, and leveraging it by entrusting certain aspects of it to someone else. The mechanics include specific strategies and tools you can use to maximize your outsourcing experience.

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

Mindset and the mechanics of expanding your team

The value of letting go and leveraging

Chris’ burnout, and what he did about it

The importance of taking care of yourself and switching off regularly

What entrepreneurs should do with the time they save by outsourcing

How a virtual team kept Chris’ business going in the midst of his burnout

The importance of entrepreneurs going off the grid from time to time

What super hero syndrome is, and how to overcome it

The impact of ego on your business

What will defeat the benefits of your outsourcing efforts

How you can make more by working less

How to counter the feeling that you can do things faster yourself than telling someone else to do it

The biggest problem when training your virtual staff

How to throw little curve balls to your VA, and why you should

Why you need to take care of your team ahead of all else

Whether you should outsource locally or overseas

The 3 basic ways Chris communicates with his staff

The point where a lot of businesses begin to fail and how to avoid it

And so much more!

When training your virtual staff, the biggest challenge you’ll run into is yourself [Tweet This]

Question: Have you done any outsourcing? Share your experiences with or questions about outsourcing below!

David Prochaska

Great podcast Amy and Chris. I haven’t taken that plunge into getting a VA yet. I totally understand Super-Hero syndrome, too. That was a good idea to video tape yourself doing a task so your VA can easily perform the same task as you. I question my delegating skills sometimes, but that’s an awesome solution.

Paul Potter

Ouch!! Great podcast but the truth hurts a bit. I appreciate Chri’s straight forward approach that addresses the entrepreneur’s super ego. I was challenged to think through once again what is underneath my need to do it all myself. Thanks.

http://IMLeslieZ.com LeslieZ

I first heard Chris speak about VAs a few months back. Thanks for this great Podcast. It’s funny that people won’t spend money on a VA because they think it is too expensive but will continue to buy every package that comes along without a thought on cost.

sony

helped me to improve a lot… Am new to the world of internet and its wide oppurtunities… I want to spread myself over the internet… I belive you will be helping me to make change in my career…. Make Money , Blogging Tips

Will Irish

Thanks Amy & Chris – I so appreciated the transparency and best practices. Great episode!

http://www.tbsnetworks.net/ TBSNetworks

Hi, Amy,

Thanks for sharing this Podcast mp3 for us to increase our knowledge in online marketing. We are appreciate your view about online marketing and eager to hear other knowledgeable information regarding online marketing.

Ouch!! Great podcast but the truth hurts a bit. I appreciate Chri’s
straight forward approach that addresses the entrepreneur’s super ego. I
was challenged to think through once again what is underneath my need
to do it all myself. Thanks. سنگ کورین

ok, intersting. Entrepreneurs often suffer from the misconception that to be successful, they must do everything themselves. Not only are they the boss, but also the salesperson, HR manager, copywriter, operations manager, online marketing guru, and so much more.کفپوش–
سنگ کورین–ورق و نمای
کامپوزیت–نمای چوب

Hi Thanks for the Terrific Khvbtvn Gzarytvn participation was great TvzyhatvnWe are appreciate your view about online marketing and eager to hear other knowledgeable information regarding online marketing.

About Amy

Amy is a social media strategist and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies. She helps entrepreneurs across industries establish strategies to maximize the power of social media and increase the success of their online marketing efforts.